


Whatever They Had

by MoonySmith



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: (and they were soulmates - omg they were soulmates!), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:46:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27474478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonySmith/pseuds/MoonySmith
Summary: In a universe where soulmates are real, Greg had reached the age where he had gotten bored of waiting for it to come, so he didn't find it a problem when Sherlock offered the idea of spending their time together until Greg's soulmate arrived.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	Whatever They Had

**Author's Note:**

> I'm bringing the soulmate AU no asked for. Yes, such a cliche but I liked writing this nevertheless.  
> Hope you like it!

An alternative universe where soulmates exist: you were born with the first letter of your soulmate tattooed on your wrist. You don’t see in colour - not until you meet them, but until you _know_ they’re your soulmate when you _know_ you love them - in either way and you have to find it out by yourself.

* * *

Greg Lestrade’s assigned letter was a ‘w’, and he hadn’t met his soulmate yet. And there were some days where he felt like he wasn't going to meet them at all. From time to time he’d have a partner to share his life with, and maybe forget about the main pain, someone who hadn’t met their soulmate either or maybe lose them in any way. Through the years they’ve mostly been women but he was sure that he liked men too and sometimes he thought that maybe his soulmate would even be a man.

It didn't bother him not seeing in colour because he knew that you couldn’t miss something you never met, and it never complicated his life or his work before, so it wasn’t an issue for him at least.

His relationships never lasted much since they both would be waiting for someone else, and even once, his partner actually met her soulmate while she was with him. Luckily it didn’t bother him, because the idea of it happening had crossed his mind more than once before.

The longest relationship he’d had was with a woman and it lasted for over four years, they had a great time, Lisa was funny and kind and he adored that about her, but his job took so much from him and he adored his job too, so in the end, it wouldn’t work… It didn't help either that Sherlock came into his life shortly after their fourth anniversary and messed up with his entire world too.

He didn’t want to blame Sherlock with this, but he cared for the younger so much, even after only months of meeting him. He would bring him back home when he noticed his drug addiction, he would help him to detox or with the withdrawals. Lisa understood it at first, but it was complicated after some time and Greg knew that, but he just couldn’t leave him on his own, no matter what he did.

And Sherlock didn’t even seem like he wanted to change but Greg always hoped the best from him so he would still help him in any way, except getting him into official cases while he was high, at least he had drawn a line, even when Sherlock would throw a huge tantrum in his office demanding to get into one.

But it was five months since Lisa was gone and Sherlock was still the same, so Greg had to make the decision he so much stretched to happen; to ask Sherlock to get clean or say goodbye to his cold cases. And even when he had some doubts, it worked, and Sherlock finally stood clean for good.

They were friends, or at least the closest to friends Sherlock would allow them to be. But Greg liked to think of them as friends.

He would invite him to come over, he would make him at least have dinner after cases, he would make sure Sherlock had a roof under his head to sleep because he usually managed to get his landlord pissed after some experiment or only by his manners. He really cared about him and maybe it wasn't reciprocated but at this point, he didn’t care, he would always help him. 

But either way, they would get along for some time… until Sherlock made things awkward between them by kissing Greg one night after solving a tough case. Lestrade thought it was the afterglow or the release of endorphins these cases would always leave on Sherlock, but he denied it. He _wanted_ to kiss him, he’d said. But Greg had to stop him before things got any further, because they were only friends - and if they were. Sherlock needed to understand that he was actually done with all the dating things until he’d find his soulmate. He didn’t want to go through another relationship that’d leave him with nothing. And Maybe both of them were drunk with the afterglow because Greg ended up confessing to him how empty he felt sometimes for not meeting them at this age, he knew Sherlock didn’t care, but he had been hiding those feelings for so long and Sherlock was right there. Sherlock didn’t make any comment on that, instead, he let him know that he actually didn’t care about soulmates at all, and he wasn’t looking for a serious relationship now.

“You’re telling me that you don’t think your soulmate is out there?” Greg asked when he finished, “Even when there’s a soul mark on your wrist that proves you wrong?”

But Sherlock shrugged and huffed, “I said that I didn’t care.”

Even after almost five years knowing each other, they had never spoken about it before. Although Greg noticed as soon as he met Sherlock, the covered wrist with a black leather bracelet, same as he did with a thick rubber band on his own wrist.

“If they’re out there, I’m just not looking for them,” Sherlock added after Greg reminded him the importance of a soulmate and how some people waited too long to meet them, and added the fact that some suffered the loss of them too, but Sherlock seemed to not be bothered by it.

So Greg gave it a deep thought while frowning at him.

“I do like you, y’know,” he confessed, but adding softly and insecurely, “But what happens if I meet my…?”

“Nothing," Sherlock interrupted, rolling his eyes, but leaning forward to him. And Greg doubted at first but let himself be kissed by Sherlock again.

“And what if…”

“Lestrade.” Sherlock sighed, “This isn’t a big deal, only kissing… or sex if you’re up to.”

And of course, Greg was up to that, so he finally shut his mouth and let Sherlock kiss him again, fading his worries away for once.

It took him some time before he got completely used to this new version of them, but it was nice - he had to admit it, having someone else by his side, and someone so different to other partners he had had in the past. Although he wasn’t his partner, of course, Sherlock had made that clear for at least a million times, but it was nice having whatever they had.

And Sherlock also made it clear from the beginning that he was free to date anyone if he wanted to, or the case he met his so desired soulmate. They weren’t exclusive, that was what he meant. But Greg was real when he said he was done with it, he was in his forties and still without his soulmate, at this point he doubted sometimes that he’d ever been able to meet them so he didn’t mind spending his time having casual sex with Sherlock. And he was sure that Sherlock didn’t have anyone else either, so it wasn’t a problem for them.

Or at least it wasn’t for a long time before John Watson appeared into their lives, especially Sherlock’s life. It took him some time, but Greg came into the conclusion that John was in fact, Sherlock’s soulmate. He never saw his soul mark letter, so it wasn’t that crazy to think about it when you saw them act together. It was meant to be, he thought. 

Sherlock didn't show up at his place again since he met John. He clearly looked happier and healthier since they met, so Greg was actually happy for him finally meeting his soulmate, even after being in such denial that he cared about the matter.

It was sad for Greg getting used to the idea of being alone again, though. Sherlock had met his soulmate but Lestrade still hadn’t and it frustrated him more, and he couldn’t admit it to anyone else so he kept those feelings still bottled up inside him.

He didn’t exactly feel jealous whenever he saw Sherlock and John together but he did miss him and he didn’t know how to reach him, maybe John would be mad if he knew what kind of relationship he and Sherlock had in the past, so Greg just let the time pass between them, believing it was the best for them.

It was months until Sherlock popped at his place one night without an invitation.

“What are you doing here?” Greg asked surprised after saying hi and closing the door behind him.

“Sex?” Sherlock replied deadpan but took his coat off and threw it casually to the sofa.

“Wait, _what_?”

Sherlock rolled his eyes.

“We’ve had this agreement.”

“Yeah, but it was before you…” Lestrade closed his mouth and scratched the back of his neck.

“Before what?”

“John,” he answered, lowering his hand, unsure that since Sherlock never mentioned it before, it was right for him to do it. But Holmes huffed in response, “What? Aren’t you two soulmates?”

“What?” Sherlock arched an eyebrow alarmed, “John’s straight, Lestrade. And his soul mark is clearly an ‘m’, I’ve seen it.”

“Oh.” Greg covered his mouth perplex with a hand for a moment. “Well, you haven’t been here in months, I just assumed…”

“Wrong,” he interrupted him but stepped closer now. “I’ve been busy. Are we going to do it or should I leave?”

“ _Oh_ , of course.”

And Greg got used to it again. And then everyone around them had to, after being caught up and giving some short explanation to each of them, they didn’t have a choice but to get used to it too. Mycroft was the most difficult to talk to, and even to this day, Greg felt uncomfortable around him, making him self conscious that he'd been sleeping with his little brother and him being aware of it, too. It was awkward.

Apart from the fact that from time to time, Greg would feel the urge of that special bond he was missing, everything was fine. He liked how things were going and he didn’t even think about his soulmate so frequently as before (although it was strange to others when you were so close to your fifties and still didn’t find them). Yes, everything was fine… until Sherlock jumped from St. Bartholomew hospital's roof. 

In all his life, Greg never felt the way his death made him feel, in simple words, it tore him apart. At first, he couldn’t understand how it would hurt so much when Sherlock wasn’t even his soulmate, they weren’t bonding, why was it so hard? He was constantly mourning him.

It took him months and even a bit of therapy to learn to live again with another part of him missing inside...

But then Sherlock came back… of course, the bloody bastard couldn’t stay away for a long time (although it felt like a lifetime for Greg). He was back and that part inside him was fine as well.

And Greg just couldn’t help it, but it was late when he noticed that he had been more physical around Sherlock since he came back, maybe it was because he had missed him so much he wanted a reminder that he was alive and there. In public, Greg would touch his arm for longer than necessary when they were working together, while when they were alone, Greg knew he forgot about Sherlock’s personal space, but he never pulled away so he thought it was fine. He really couldn’t help it, he needed the touch, the connection.

After so long, it was like a relationship after all. Whoever that looked at them would be sure about it, even from the outside of their circle… it was only them that didn’t accept it.

They would never actually have a real conversation about it, about what was after all this time, or how things would still change if one of them found their soulmates. It seemed like not even them thought about it. And even Greg barely did, to be honest, the truth was, he didn’t want to because he liked how things were now. He would deal with it in time, he guessed.

During Sherlock’s time away, John had met his soulmate, as a matter of fact. Mary. Greg thought she was a nice woman, or at least until… well, she shot Sherlock and nearly killed him - for good now, to keep her secret saved. And then it was Sherlock who shot someone for the same said secret and now he was being exiled from the country thanks to Mycroft’s help. Lestrade could barely understand what the hell was going on, but he was informed that Mycroft had helped him to have a few minutes with his younger brother to say their goodbyes.

Since they weren’t an official couple, Greg didn’t exactly know what to say to him once Sherlock was in front of him. He felt his chest aching once again for the same man and he couldn’t find the right words to express his feelings. He only knew he didn’t want him to be apart from his side again and didn’t know how he would cope with it again.

“It wasn’t entirely a waste of time being around you, Inspector,” Sherlock said with a nod and Greg chuckled, almost in tears.

“Goodbye, Sherlock.” He leaned forward to wrap his arms around him in a tight hug that Sherlock didn’t reply to.

“Good luck with your searching,” Sherlock commented once Greg pulled back.

“I am not…”

“Goodbye, Lestrade,” he interrupted him, and then cleared his throat. Greg tilted his head to one side and frowned; Sherlock couldn’t even say his first name on their last meeting.

So, Sherlock left.

And then he was back, again… _That insufferable prick_.

Greg hated remembering those days where Sherlock was high, but here he was again, helping him to get through the withdrawal because no one else knew him as he did. Okay, maybe Mycroft did, but Sherlock had asked for him instead, and Greg felt a pinch of pride inside. In the end, Greg couldn’t completely blame him, Sherlock was leaving everything behind, his life, his friends, and going to what was supposed to be certain death, so Greg only helped him without another word.

Lestrade didn’t have a good feeling with all this new Moriarty issue, but Sherlock assured them he was dead, actually dead.

So they were back into that game again not much after that. John was less seen in Lestrade’s cases due to his marriage and pregnant wife, but this time he accepted Sherlock’s enthusiastic invitation. Greg didn’t understand why that was, but he allowed it because of Sherlock’s excitement.

They didn’t know what they were getting into this time, but Greg probably never expected to be him ending up injured thanks to Sherlock’s irresponsibility. Lestrade had seen him rushing after their suspect recklessly, he swore under his breath and ran after them. He found them around a corner and he was about to attack Sherlock with a knife, so Greg instinctively rushed to them and caught the suspect from the back, but somehow he was faster now and if it wasn’t for Sherlock’s quick reaction, he would have stabbed him on his forearm but it left apparently only a scratch after Sherlock punched him in the face.

They were nearer to Baker Street than NSY or the hospital, so as soon as he was done with the arrest, John insisted they should head to Sherlock’s flat before anywhere else.

The wound didn’t actually hurt that much, but John stood firm that it needed to be checked so Greg obeyed. The truth was he was mad at Sherlock for being so negligent even after going through the same situation a thousand times before.

“It wouldn’t have happened if you had just waited! I nearly had him,” Sherlock exclaimed when they arrived. Lestrade rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw as he took a seat on the couch.

“Take your jacket off and roll up your sleeve, I’ll go for the medical set,” John said to Greg, ignoring Sherlock before disappearing by the kitchen.

Greg sighed. “I’ve told you many times, Sherlock, you can’t just go after a suspect. Whether you like it or not, to the law’s eyes you’re nothing but a civilian!” He ran a hand through his head before doing as John had told him.

“You wouldn’t have caught him…”

“Either way,” he interrupted him, ”you just _can’t_.”

Holmes was about to reply when John came back into the room and gave him a look, so Sherlock only scoffed at them and went to sprawl out on the armchair by the door, while John took the seat by Greg’s side.

“It’s not that deep,” John let him know after checking the cut carefully. Greg noticed the big dark stain on his shirt sleeve but tried to ignore it while he could. “Do you mind if I take this off?” he asked, catching the rubber band on his wrist. Greg nodded in response, so John took it and handed it to him.

John finished treating the wound and placed a patch on it after cleaning some of the blood around on his forearm. Greg didn’t actually feel any pain, so the anger was still there.

“You were lucky it didn’t touch any vein. It was too close, though,” John continued, nodding at his arm.

“Thanks, mate,” said Greg and was about to roll the sleeve back down when John stopped him by grabbing his forearm.

“Wait a minute.” He was frowning and staring at his arm, so he pointed at the wrist, “your soul mark is a ‘w’?”

“Oh.” Greg felt a bit embarrassed and tried to cover it by putting the band back.

“Wait!” He stopped him, “Oh, my God.”

“What?!”

John lifted his arm and then looked at Sherlock, nodding at Greg's mark. “You didn’t know about this?”

So Greg turned his head at Sherlock, who was watching at him with wide eyes open and suddenly looking pale and sick.

“What is it?” he asked in confusion.

“ _How_ is it that neither of you ever talked about it before? I mean, seriously!” John dropped the hold on his arm and stood up in a quick move and pointed at Sherlock but was still staring at Greg. “His soul mark is a ‘g’, for God’s sake!”

“Oh, okay?” he said shrugging. Greg never asked Sherlock before, and he never saw the mark either, even when they had sex, they both had it covered. He didn’t understand what was the matter now. “What is fuss then?”

John stood straight and frowned at him, “What is the… Oh, my… You don’t know…” He rolled his eyes, “Christ, I’m better leaving you two to talk.” John shook his head, muttering something while walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Sherlock was covering his mouth with a hand staring at the floor.

“What’s going on, Sherlock?” Greg felt worried now.

It appeared to Greg that it lasted for hours even if it was only a moment, but Sherlock finally moved, looking up at him.

“Sherlock,” he began, rising to his feet, “Sherlock is my middle name.”

It started to make sense with that, so Greg stood up, looking at him expectantly.

“What… what is your first name?” he dared to speak, feeling a twitch on his stomach.

Sherlock opened and closed his mouth, glaring back at him expressionless.

“William,” he whispered then.

Greg’s stomach dropped but he started to chuckle nervously, covering his mouth with a hand, everything spun around him, not noticing exactly at what point the world was so colourful.

“ _Christ_.”

Lestrade started to blink a few times trying to adjust his eyes to the new intensity of the colours. 

He was feeling sick now.

So Sherlock took him by the shoulders, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I… It’s just... _How_ … Why did you never tell me it was a ‘g’?”

“What for?” Sherlock shrugged, “You never brought the matter into the table, I assumed I wasn’t on your wrist, and I’m used to being called Sherlock since I was a child.”

Lestrade dropped the hand on his mouth, “It’s been you. All this time.” He laughed again and after a moment Sherlock actually joined him.

“It’s stupid,” Sherlock said shaking his head.

Greg offered him a smile before hugging him and eventually kissing him on the lips.

When they broke apart only a bit, Greg gave him a look, noticing his eyes.

“Jesus, your eyes are beautiful,” he murmured. He also noticed how Sherlock’s cheeks changed colour quickly but he didn’t bring that up.

“Yours too,” he replied, smiling.

“My mom said they were brown or something.”

“They’re beautiful, so expressive” Sherlock added, “I’ve noticed that before but the colour…” He was interrupted when they heard some footsteps closer to the door.

“Oh, boys,” cried Mrs Hudson out loud. She was smiling but her eyes shone so brightly even from where they were standing.

“I just texted Mycroft, by the way,” John let them know, giggling.

“What, why?” asked Sherlock annoyed.

“Because it’s _hilarious_! You two idiots have been shagging for years and never knew you were soulmates!” He started to laugh again, mocking at them.

Greg turned at Sherlock, who rolled his eyes in annoyance but suddenly hid his face on the crook of Greg’s shoulder, so he wrapped an arm around him.

“Have you already…?” John didn’t finish the sentence but pointed a finger at them.

“Huh,” Greg sighed, releasing the hug a bit, “No, we haven’t.”

He knew John meant the bonding thing. And although it wasn’t exactly a weird ritual or something hard to do, Greg quickly started to feel sick again. It meant a serious deal now, it was official. Pretty much like getting married or even more serious than that.

Lestrade started to feel anxious, catching his breath when he noticed everyone was looking at him.

Something on his face probably showed it, because Mrs Hudson softly said, “We’re leaving you alone then.” She nodded at them but added, “Be careful.”

Greg blinked at her and turned to Sherlock, staring at those bright eyes, wondering if he actually wanted the rest of it. Because it frankly didn’t look like something Sherlock Holmes would do.

“You alright?” Sherlock asked tenderly.

“Do you want to do this?”

“Lestrade.” He tilted his head, “We’ve been…”

“Yeah, I know. But… this is different. This is more serious. And you never even wanted neither of this in the first place.”

“But now it’s with you…”

And Greg blinked at him, fondly. Those words actually relaxed him a lot. He sighed.

“So, you want to…”

“Yes, _Greg_.”

Lestrade smiled proudly.

***

“That wasn’t that bad.”

“What now?” Lestrade asked, feeling a bit tired.

“I don’t know. That was it, I suppose?” Sherlock took his phone out and grimaced, “Ugh, Mycroft’s calling. Anyway, we should have sex,” he spoke too fast but Greg heard him clear, taking a moment to laugh at him.

“We’re not having sex so you brother can run into us naked. That’s sick even for you, Sunshine.”

Sherlock rolled his eyes. “Not what I was thinking, Lestrade.”

He shook his head, something else was bothering him now, “So, Sherlock is your middle name? Does that sound like there’s a third one? Sort of posh, isn’t it?”

Even not looking up from his phone, Greg could tell the annoyance in Sherlock’s expression.

“Scott,” he said softly.

“Definitely posh.”

“Shut up, Graham.”

Greg laughed once more.

He shook his head before looking down at his wrist, the soul mark didn’t look like it used to do, it was barely a thin white line now and he smiled fondly.

He felt complete now.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had had this on my drafts since forever! I remember thinking about how ridiculous it would be if they were soulmates but never realized it because of Sherlock's name xD


End file.
